Day #85-Back at last!; Miles hiked: 9.1

Getting back to the trail was none short of a saga, but the journey is complete! Thanks to my best friend (and family) Emily for the ride to the Knoxville airport, to my cousin Michael for a place to crash in DC, and megabus for the ride to Front Royal.

No pictures from today because as soon as I hit the trail, so did the rain. However, a summary of my second “first day back” is as follows.

1. Receive all sorts of random kindness from locals in Front Royal to get me back to the random road crossing I bailed at last week.

2. Six easy miles to VA 522 where I left all of my sharp items so that I could fly back with my pack right by my side.

3. Almost stay at the hostel where I left my things but eventually decide it would be best to move on.

4. Three more miles to the border of Shenandoah National Park.

5. Pitch my tent in the shelter because it was leaking so much from the rain.